Missing the point on health care

Reading the Aug. 15 letters to the editor, I had to smile about a response from James P. Jones of Wheaton to my letter a week earlier. The smile came from reading a typical liberal Democratic message of interpreting words rather than what was actually stated, and the government is our lifeline to survival. Jones took exception to my statement: "I am not willing to let the government take more money from my pocket and manage health care…the government, in the history of the USA, is incapable of managing any program efficiently."

His exception was based on letting us know that the government did come up with some programs, mentioning Social Security and the GI Bill. My letter did not mention anything about the government's lack of starting programs. It did, however, point out they cannot manage them efficiently. Social Security and the GI Bill are perfect examples.

Then Jones claims I have a weak argument and takes exception to the historical evidence that universal health care, in countries like Canada, has led to long delays in getting treatment. Why? Because he apparently has a good insurance plan and has to wait for a doctor even though he has an appointment. The difference between waiting in the doctor's office a few minutes longer than the scheduled time vs. waiting months to even get the doctor's appointment, is your universal health care in action.

Example of universal health care -- our company has a representative in Canada who broke his leg last winter skiing. He could not get into the doctor for six weeks and in that time the bones started fusing together. By the time surgery occurred, they had to break the bones again to reconstruct them properly. Enough said!

Jones feels it is important to mention drug company lobbyists having successfully escalated prices of prescription drugs so the average citizen cannot afford them. This was his exception to my request for the government to focus on eliminating frivolous lawsuits so insurance companies can provide affordable rates to the citizens. Although Jones could have a point, I look beyond lobbyists and believe many insurance plans come with co-pays for prescription drugs. Thereby making them irrelevant if the citizens can afford health insurance! Yes, stop the frivolous lawsuits!

We both agree we have an obligation to our fellow Americans. We simply take different approaches.

Carl Palash

Carol Stream